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OP/ED

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME.

A Monthly Collection of Opinions and Editorials.

The opinions represented here do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Liberty Press. We
reserve the right to edit and cut submissions for space and grammatical content.
We want to hear from you! Visit www.libertypress.net to answer our Readers Poll or the question of
the month. Send your letters and feedback to editor@libertypress.net.

We now take
American Express!

AUGUST 2013

DOMA Denied!

S

o something happened a
couple of months ago. It
might not have changed
your life—yet—but it sure as
heck did happen. The Supreme
Court of the United States, the
body we hire to decide what is
and is not the law of the land
and to rule on what is or is
not Constitutional, ruled that
the Defense of Marriage Act
. . . wasn’t. Those of us who
remember gnashing our teeth
in frustration when the Clinton
administration promoted this
stupid piece of *#&$, also
remember the clang of the
falling dominoes as state after
state enshrined similar laws in
their own constitutions, Kansas
included.
It seemed so incongruous
in a time when gay and lesbian
rights were being acknowledged
in more and more situations,
but that was the problem. As
long as we were committing our
unspeakable acts, so to speak, in
the smoky back rooms of bars
in bad neighborhoods, we were
not a threat to anyone’s family
values. Social conservatives
could point to us and then to
their children, and remind
little Tommy and Suzie that
this was not a life they could
possibly want, so they had better
straighten up.
But when we began living
more openly throughout the
80’s and 90’s, we stopped
being such an easy target. You
can’t claim gay people are all
sad, lonely, alcoholic perverts
when they wave to you while
mowing their lawns, stop and
chat while walking their dogs,
and generally, somehow, fail to
be very much different than any
other neighbor.
We came out at work, at our
fantasy football leagues, and
even at church. Most powerful of
all, we came out in our families.
How can we be vilified as the
Terrifying/Disgusting Other
when we insist on being there
at Thanksgiving dinner, and not
being any different than anyone
else at the table?
And that is the greatest fear,
clutched with their dried up
claws to their tiny little burntcarbon hearts, that the social
conservatives (and many gay
activists, truth be told) like
to take out and stroke when

By Sheryl LeSage
nobody is looking—the fear that
we really are no different. We
aren’t less happy, we aren’t more
druggy, we aren’t any better at
serial monogamy than they are.
Our kids are not miserable, nor
are they any more likely to grow
up gay. We’re just . . . people.
And given that startling
revelation, it was only a
matter of time before those
dominoes began falling in the
other direction. Twenty years
ago, it certainly did not seem
inevitable. But in hindsight, how
could it be otherwise? This has
always been a nation that says
it values truth and fairness. So
how could it allow a law to stand
that had unfairness as its stated
intent?
It could be ignored by the
Supreme Court for awhile, and I
promise you, they really did not
want to touch it (any reasoning
adult can see that it was always
unconstitutional, but until the
tide of popular opinion had
turned far enough, ruling that
way was going to cause an
outcry). But once the individual
states began legalizing same-sex
marriage, DOMA was doomed.
As soon as one state decided
to legalize our unions, the “full
faith and credit” clause came into
play. If something is recognized
by the laws of one state, other
states have to respect that—they
don’t have to change their laws,
but they have to acknowledge
the legality of the act, whatever
it is.
But DOMA prevented this
from happening. It prevented
any state from recognizing
marriages performed in other
states, but only if they were
same-sex. That was never going
to stand for very long, and even

usually-conservative judges
could see it.
So here we are. When that
decision was announced, I
was working on my computer,
pretending I didn’t care. My
relationship is real, and it has
lasted 17 years without the
Supreme Court Seal of Approval.
I can’t inherit my partner’s
property, of course, and her
family could deny me the right
to visit her in the hospital if they
wished (I would like to think
that would not happen, but these
people, who say they love their
daughter and sister, keep voting
for Republicans who make
anti-gay rhetoric a central plank
in their platforms). We can’t
save thousands of dollars per
year by filing our taxes jointly
(“marriage penalty” my lily
white heinie; I’ve been married,
and I’ve been single. Filing
jointly is a HUGE bennie). There
are more than 1,000 rights we
are denied because both of us
are women.
But I don’t spend a lot of
time stewing about all that. I
just live my life, pay my bills,
go to my job, feed my pets, and
try to be the best not-wife I can.
So I wasn’t glued to the TV.
Even so, when the decision was

announced, I have to confess
that I may have shouted to Miz
Thang in the other room, and
I may or may not have shed a
tear or two. Only the Kleenex
box knows for sure. The official
validation doesn’t matter in
some ways, but still, to have that
evil Act struck down so publicly
felt pretty damn good.
Has it changed our lives?
Not yet. Kansas still has its
odious Act on the books, so
we won’t be running down to
the courthouse any day soon.
But the thing about social sea
changes is that no petty little
state legislature can hold them
back. The People have decided,
and they did so long before this
Court made its announcement.
Most Americans simply don’t
care, and don’t understand why
we can’t get married. And that
sentiment is proving stronger
than any obstructionist state law.
Just this week, a county
clerk in Pennsylvania started
handing out marriage licenses
to same-sex couples who asked.
Our marriages are not legal in
Pennsylvania, but the clerk said
he “wanted to be on the right
side of history.”
And if that doesn’t bring a
tear to your eye, I don’t know
what will. l

Comments from the Web

7/22/13

3:53 PM

Page 1
Page 7

AUGUST

IN

JUNK-FOR-JESUS

RUMMAGE SALE
AUGUST 2ND • 7 AM-6 PM

Our Fantasy Complex Parking Lot • 3201 S. Hillside
If you have items you would like to donate please contact the
church office at: 316.267.1852 • Proceeds to benefit FMCC

FREE FAMILY PEACE
BBQ & POOL PARTY
So much fun last summer...
We’re doing
it Again!

“Reading the July issue, it was noted there
were no articles or comments from you [Kristi
Parker]. You are missed without such items,
hope all is well and look forward to your next
issue.”
--Harper, KS

By Ciara Reid, staff reporter
TOPEKA - Katy Tompkins first
met Jason Dockins at Best Buy
in Manhattan, where she worked
as a manager. Dockins applied
for a job and was interviewed
by Tompkins. She vividly recalls
how dynamic he was during
their first meeting. “He was
one of those dream people,”
she says. “His attitude was so
positive. Wherever he went,
people followed. He didn’t even
know the power he had.”
O v e r t i m e , To m p k i n s
and Dockins became good
friends. One characteristic she
remembers about him was his
sense of activism. “He was
such an activist,” she says,
explaining how he spoke on
behalf of LGBT individuals
at a Manhattan Human Rights
& Services Board meeting in
support of anti-discrimination
legislation. He was also a very
involved member of the Flint
Hills PFLAG chapter.
Dockins’ shimmering
positivity and zeal for life made

his suicide in August 2008 all
the more shocking to friends,
family and others who knew
him. He was 23.
To m p k i n s h a d a l w a y s
thought of doing something to
honor the good that Dockins
had done in his short life,
but wasn’t sure how it would
manifest. While in law school at
Washburn University, Tompkins
met Nicole Revenaugh. She
shared Dockins’ story with
Revenaugh, who suggested they
start fundraising.
“We bought donuts and
sold them to professors, who
then distributed them to their
classes,” Tompkins says. “The
initial goal was to raise a few
hundred dollars.” The response
far exceeded their expectations
- they ended up with $1,500.
Tompkins was overwhelmed.
“The outpouring of support
was incredible,” she says. They
presented the money to Sonja
Feist, President of PFLAG of
Lawrence and Topeka, who
suggested that the money be
used to start a scholarship in

Dockins’ name.
“We were contacted
by the Washburn group
and told they were raising
funds in honor of Jason
Dockins,” says Feist. She
says when they asked
what they would do with
the money, she initially
thought they would use
it to purchase educational
material. “When we found
out that they were donating
almost $1,500, we decided
to set up a scholarship
in Jason’s name,” she
says. Additional funds
were donated by PFLAG
members.
Feist says they used
the national PFLAG
application form as a
template for the Jason
Dockins Scholarship
forms. PFLAG of
Lawrence and Topeka
then contacted area high
schools to advertise
for applicants. “The
scholarship was for a
person who self-identified
as LGBT or as a straight
ally,” Feist explains. The
applicant had to be a
graduating senior in good
academic standing, and a
resident of Kansas, and
had to have been accepted
at a college.
Their selection criteria
included reviewing
volunteer activities,
school involvement,
examples of leadership
qualities and what the
applicants had done to
enhance the lives of
LGBT persons in their
school or community.
Scholarships for $1,000
have been awarded to two

An annual scholarship was made possible by a
donation from the Washburn University School
of Law, Gay Straight Legal Alliance in memory of
Jason Dockins (1985-2008). Photo courtesy of Katy
Tompkins

recipients so far: Zack Bomberger
of Dwight, Kansas, in 2012; and
Timothy Williams of Overland Park,
Kansas, in 2013. Bomberger has
completed his first year at Kansas
State University and is majoring in
International Agribusiness. Williams
will be attending the University of
Missouri-Kansas City in August and
is majoring in Biological Sciences.
Tompkins hopes to help continue
the scholarships for years to come.
“It’s a way for Jason to continue to
contribute after the tragedy,” Tompkins
says. l

AUGUST 2013

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!.

Page 9

Spring Awakening - a musical about
difficult wisdom - opens at the Crown

By Helen Barnes
WICHITA - The difficulties of being a
teenager in the 1890’s weren’t any different
than those experienced by young people
today. At least that’s the message of Spring
Awakening, the next performance featured
at the Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre. This
eight-time Tony Award winning musical
opens on Aug. 2 and runs through Aug. 31.
Spring Awakening is an R-rated “coming
of age” story about boarding school kids in
Germany. It is an edgy rock-musical with
music by Duncan Sheik based on a play
written by Frank Wedekind, which he selfpublished in 1891. In 1906, the play opened
in Germany, but the New York opening in
1917 was shut down by the censors for its
stories about homosexuality, sex, abortion,
and other “restricted” subjects. Wedekind
got an injunction from the Supreme Court
that would allow the play to be performed,
but it still closed after one show.
Matthew Rumsey, the Crown’s Producing
Artistic Director, is amazed that the author
brought up such taboo topics during that era:
“It blows me away that he had the guts to do
that back in the 1800’s.”
But, as stated earlier, the play deals
with the universal, era-hopping angst that
accompanies the difficult transition from
teenager into adulthood. This is the time
when young people learn about society’s
boundaries and then they begin to hunt for
the survey stakes. The choices they make
can affect the rest of their lives as they
a) accept what has been plotted, b) move
beyond the restrictions, c) fall in love, or d)
even choose to stop living, as one character
in the play does. The play explores this rocky
terrain with each character.
Spring Awakening is controversial. Not
just for the stories it reveals, but for the way
it is written as well. It is loosely connected
through the relationships of the characters,
the common ground on which they exist (the
boarding school), and their dialogue. The
lack of a cohesive structure and occasionally
indistinguishable characters is often waved
over this play as an aspersion, but I choose
to think it is more reflective of what the
overarching story is about: the dissembling
of youth.
Spring Awakening is also courageous,
because even though it has been given a
sprightly name, it does not provide fairy-tale
answers. Ultimately, there really is no way
to protect children from the difficult task of
getting older.
Rumsey added that the cast for this show
is the “strongest cast ever.” In fact, he feels
that the actors have the perfect parts, as if

they were made to play those roles. He says
one performer to watch out for in particular
is Brian Muller, who happens to be a NY
Equity Actor. This is the first time that the
Crown Uptown has hired an Equity actor.
Muller will be playing Melchiore.
This production will feature
choreography by Gigi Gans and costumes
by Dora Arbuckle. James Dobinson is
the music director for Spring Awakening.
Dobinson’s work has been seen on stage,
television, and film in New York and his
homeland, Australia. Executive chef Kevin

Gillenwater and his culinary team will
provide entertainment of a gastronomic kind
to accompany the musical. The stage set also
looks like it might be stunning, judging by
the images on the web.
For more information on Spring
Awakening, tickets and/or the rest of the
Crown Uptown Dinner Theatre 2013 season,
see: www.crownuptown.com/. (Because
of the mature subjects depicted in Spring
Awakening, it is not recommended for
audience members 13 years old or younger.
Parental guidance is suggested. l

316.978.3233 • www.wichita.edu/fineartsboxoffice
Single event tickets on sale three weeks prior to opening.

PAGE 10

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME.

Visiting assistant professor at
K-State earns grant
By Maureen Orth

Fine

AUGUST 2013

MANHATTAN - Leigh Fine,
visiting assistant professor at the
School of Leadership Studies,
has been selected for funding
in the 2013 Williams Institute
Small Research Grants program.
The Williams Institute, an
LGBT policy think tank based
at the University of California,
Los Angeles’ School of Law,

has awarded Fine a $1,395
grant. Fine will use the grant
to obtain data and software
to analyze the relationship
between sexual identity and
educational outcomes. Fine’s
project was selected from a
large pool of applicants from
diverse academic backgrounds,
including psychology, sociology,
social work, public health, law,
political science, education,

medicine and American studies.
The Williams Institute is
dedicated to conducting
rigorous, independent research
on sexual orientation and
gender identity law and public
policy. The Williams Institute
produces high-quality research
with real-world relevance
and disseminates it to judges,
legislators, policymakers, media
and the public. l

New single, Locomotion,
by Grenadina now
available on Itunes
LAWRENCE – On July 2,
Grenadina released their first
single, Locomotion, off their
sophomore EP Get Shallow. The
band trekked to Vibe Studios in
Cleveland, Ohio in May to begin
recording their five-song EP
following their highly praised
debut, Pretend for Me.
After a rapidly
successful kick-starter
campaign in an effort to
fund the album, Grenadina
worked at the hands of
producer/engineer Johnny
Burke to produce their
most coagulated material
to date.
The band also filmed
their debut music video for
Locomotion with Express
Media which will be out Midwest Leather Weekend takes place Oct. 4-6, in
late-summer. Get Shallow St. Louis. Photo by Alonzo Gault, Jaymz Sapphire
is set to be released in Photography
August 2013.
locomotion-single/id669193238
w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h
www.facebook.com/grenadina
?v=B0ZODIXR36o
music
youtube.com/GrenadinaTV
Now Available on iTunes!
itunes.apple.com/us/album/

AUGUST 2013

Psychiatrist/author to
speak in Wichita

Midwest Leather
Weekend; hot men,
fetishes
ST. LOUIS - The first weekend
in October, will see a huge
celebration of leather, kink,
fetish and more at
the Midwest Leather
We e k e n d i n S t .
Louis. Centered on
two big contests, the
weekend will include
events, seminars
by leading kink
specialists and parties
for Leatherfolk from
around the country.
This year the two
contests, Midwest Puppy and
Mr. Midwest Leather, will be on
Saturday night at Bad Dog Bar &
Grill. For the first time the two
contests will take place before
the same panel of judges.
The Midwest Puppy Contest
is one of the first regional
Leather & Rubber Puppy
contests and is accredited by
International Puppy in Tampa,
Fla. Both contests are open
to members of the Leather
community in 13 Midwestern
states; Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota,
Missouri, Michigan, Nebraska,
North Dakota, South Dakota,
Ohio and Wisconsin.
Vi s i t w w w. M i d w e s t
LeatherWeekend.com for more
information.

WICHITA - Dr. Loren Olson,
psychiatrist and author from
Des Moines, will present his
book, Finally Out, Letting Go of
Living Straight, a Psychiatrist’s
Own Story, on Saturday, Aug.
17 at 8pm at First Metropolitan
Community Church, 156 S.
Kansas. A reception hosted by
the Wichita Prime Timers will
follow.
Not only did Dr. Olson
complete medical school, serve
four years as a flight surgeon
in the U.S. Navy, and embark
upon a successful career as
a psychiatrist, he also had a

compatible 18-year marriage
and raised two daughters with
his attorney wife, Lynn, before
facing up to a difficult truth
about himself: he is gay.
With professional insight
Olson examines his personal
transformation from a “straight”
man living in a heterosexual
world to a gay man beginning his
education anew. He punctuates
his story with revealing statistics
from his interviews with gay men
around the world and established
studies on homosexuality, and
with surprising historical facts
that provide perspective on
global cultural norms.
To learn more go to: www.
FinallyOutBook.com. l

AUGUST 2013

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!.

Kansas City Academy’s slogan ‘Do
Something Different!’ rings true

By Ciara Reid, staff reporter
KANSAS CITY - Kansas
City Academy (KCA), an
independent, private school for
grades 6-12 at 79th Street and
Main in Kansas City, Missouri,
is a school that has always
marched to a different beat
since its inception in 1984. The
school’s philosophy encourages
a safe and caring community of
co-learners, a creative, flexible,
and intellectually stimulating
learning environment,
and focuses on heightening
students’ critical thinking
skills and a passion for social
justice. Notably, interreligious
dialogue and understanding are
encouraged – what’s not to like
about that?
Unique programs and
initiatives at KCA include United
Nations Commission on the
Status of Women in New York
City, I love Mountains Rally
in Kentucky, and the School of
the Americas Watch. On-site
initiatives include the school
garden and healthy lunch and
culinary program, solar power
installations, bicycle program,
and classes on yoga and stress
management. Students are
heavily involved in the programs,
and even have influential roles as
board members, faculty hiring
committees, and policy editors.
The success of these
programs and initiatives can
largely be credited to KCA’s
focus on encouraging students’
individuality and creativity.
“Individuality and creativity
are built-in components of
the Expeditionary Learning
curriculum and of our school
philosophy statement,” says
Kathy Baldwin-Heitman,
principal of the school.
“We hosted a KC Equal
benefit in our theater last school
year that KCA students were
invited to attend,” she says.
“Each class also plans two allschool activities during the year
that celebrate collaboration,
uniqueness and diversity.”
Some of those student organized
events, says Baldwin-Heitman,
have included a talent show, an
international home-made food

tasting, karaoke, fashion shows
with student-created garments,
and guest speakers such as Rajiv
Chilaka, CEO of Green Gold
Animation.
Baldwin-Heitman says
KCA also encourages students
to express themselves in the
way they dress, as long as it is
respectful and appropriate.
The school does not currently
have a gay-straight alliance or
LGBT club; Baldwin-Heitman
says the school encourages
celebration of all differences.
However, if the students chose to
launch such a group, they would
fully support the program.
Stephanie Greene, a counselor
at KCA, says that this past May
during graduation, senior JJ Sears
spoke regarding her experience
at KCA. “JJ is biologically
male and presents as female,”
Greene says. “Incidentally, JJ
was chosen by the student body
as Prom Queen during her junior
year.” Greene says that in her
graduation speech JJ stated,
“We all have the right to be who
we are and do what we want.
It’s our life. You can’t let other
people’s opinions change how
you feel and who you are. I do
me all day, every day. I’ve never
let anyone or anything change
who I am. I’ve remained myself
through all the hardships, all
the obstacles I’ve had to climb.
I’ve never conformed to please
anyone because that’s not who I
am. I want to thank Kansas City
Academy for letting me grow,
flourish, and embracing me as I
am. Without KCA I don’t know
if I would have made it.”
Baldwin-Heitman says
KCA’s school culture is one
of acceptance and respect,
an experiential learning
environment, and a place where
students are encouraged to
think critically and engage in
active, open communication.
“Progressive? Maybe,” she says.
“A place to develop strong roots
and take risks? Absolutely!” l
For more information:
Kansas City Academy
7933 Main, Kansas City, MO. 64114
816.444.5225
www.KCacademy.org

By Ciara Reid, staff reporter
LAWRENCE - Other states
have had annual transgender
conferences for years, and this
fall, Kansas will join this list, as
it will host TransKans - the first
ever transgender conference in
Kansas to be held in Lawrence,
Sept. 6-8 at the Bert Nash
Community Mental Health
Center, 200 Maine. Stephanie
Mott, executive director of the
Kansas Statewide Transgender

Education Project (K-STEP),
has been researching and
planning for the conference for
more than two years.
While details are still being
finalized, Mott says there will
be three to four tracks running
simultaneously on Saturday,
Sept. 7, with two morning
sessions and two afternoon
sessions on each track. “We will
be holding about 18 different
workshops throughout the day
on Saturday,” she says.

Keynote speaker Nathan
Phelps, son of infamous Pastor
Fred Phelps of the Westboro
Baptist Church, will address
attendees at a banquet at the
Holiday Inn Regency Ballroom
Sept. 7.
“He is a very powerful LBGT
advocate,” Mott says.
After leaving his home at
midnight on his 18th birthday,
Phelps moved to California
and started a new life. He has
recently begun to speak about

his experiences, including
vocalizing the dangers of religion
and child abuse. He is writing a
book about his life, which will
also be the topic of a soon-to-bereleased documentary.
The topics of the conference
tracks are incredibly diverse and
educational – throughout the
three-day conference, attendees
can learn about the political,
religious, sociological, legal, and
continued on page 26

Heart of America Men’s Chorus
Would you like to sing with a bunch of guys that
welcome any men • 18 and over • who want to sing,
dance (a little) and have some fun... all at the same time?
We’d love to have you join us as we begin rehearsals for

Santa’s On His Way
We start with a potluck dinner & social at 7pm
Tuesday, September 3rd
room 251• DeMattias Fine Arts Center
Newman University • 3100 McCormick
for more info call us at 708•4837 or find us on facebook/HOAMC
we’re looking forward to a great 12th season of music!

AUGUST 2013

By Cassie Lehnherr

A

couple of Bookends ago,
I spoke of my relief upon
discovering fresh, new
women authors in non-fiction.
My sentiments are the same this
issue, except I chose two works
of fiction by two outstanding,
young female writers. There
isn’t much more I love than a
good story to beat the heat. Well,
and air conditioning.
Acclaimed author Monica
Nolan’s Maxie Mainwaring,
Lesbian Dilettante (Kensington,
$15) is the same campy, pulp tale
the author has received critical
admiration for. “Madcap”
Maxie Mainwaring is a spoiled
socialite living a gay life in
Bay City, with contributions
from her wealthy parents’ very
generous allowance. She is
perfectly content with her trust
fund, internship at a gossip rag
and living with her longtime
girlfriend, Pam. (Though Maxie
is hardly faithful.)
However, Maxie’s life takes an
abrupt turn when she is found in
a rather compromising position

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!.

with another female blueblood at
the Daughters of the American
Pioneers Luncheon. Her
mother gives her an ultimatum
- move back home or be cut off
financially.
Maxie chooses the latter,
and what follows is a hilarious
and over-the-top story that
is never dry nor predictable.
With the help of a group of
eclectic and eccentric friends,
Maxie proves she is more than
just a charismatic dilettante.
Working everywhere from a
school cafeteria to helping her
local watering hole fight off
undesirables, Maxie learns
to fend for herself, and even
finds love. While nothing goes
smoothly and she gets in plenty
of trouble along the way, the
reader cannot help but root for
Maxie Mainwaring.
M y B r o t h e r ’s N a m e
(Scarletta Press, $14.95) by
Laura Krughoff was a very
dark read. The novel follows
Jane and her older brother John,
who move out on their own
together after one of John’s
many stays at a psychiatric
hospital to treat his many mental
illnesses; schizophrenia being
the biggest hindrance to his
functionality. Jane has always
idolized John and the only way
she knows how to help him - is
to be him.
Jane assumes John’s identity
and takes on jobs, friendships
and romances as her brother.
The siblings have a very twisted

sense of logic; Jane hopes to
save John from an even deeper
downward spiral by living as
him and returning to him at night
to tell him all about it. They

Page 15

both hope John will remember
who he once was and beat his
illnesses.
However, Jane soon begins
to identify more with the faux
version of herself than the
woman she had always been.
Chaos arises when John demands
Jane let go of certain aspects of
her faux life and they discover
their personal boundaries and
limits and discover their needs
to control one another. Through
nuanced language, intense
dialog and references to 1990s
metal and industrial music (this
stuck out to me-I’m a sucker
for the angst of 90s music),
this novel flows so well that the
reader can actually feel Jane’s
metamorphosis.
Laura Krughoff has written a
gritty, bold and honest portrayal
of mental illness and gender
identity. While she has been
published in many prestigious
American and Canadian
publications, this is her debut
novel. There are more great
things to come from this brilliant,
new talent. l

t took about an hour after
SCOTUS announced the
rulings before I started
getting phone calls from the
local media. They wanted to
know what I thought about the
Supreme Court of the United
States ruling that section 3 of
the Defense of Marriage Act the part of DOMA that denied
equality with respect to federal
benefits to legally married LGBT
couples - was unconstitutional.
They wanted to know what
it means to me that Prop 8
was struck down. They wanted
to know what that means for

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME.

people in states where marriage
equality is still being denied. In
states, like mine, where there
are constitutional amendments
banning marriage equality. They
wanted to know, “Where do we
go from here?”
In the next 24 I must have
said the words marriage equality
more than 100 times - in half
a dozen interviews, and at the
rally we held that evening at the
statehouse. The total number of
times my words were quoted
were many. One journalist
quoted my words as marriage
equality. Every other time, every
other journalist, wrote same-sex
marriage.
This unfortunate truth speaks

AUGUST 2013

volumes to me about where
we are post-DOMA (section
3) and sans Prop 8. It tells me
everything I need to know when
it comes to my reaction. It tells
me everything I need to know
about where we go from here.
I have watched the debate
of marriage equality from
afar. It has not been a debate
to which transgender people
have often been invited. That
notwithstanding, I have been
planning my wedding, dreaming
about my wedding dress, and
wondering about the (everchanging) guest list since I was
a little girl who happened to live
as a little boy.
I am an openly transsexual
woman who lives 2.6 miles
from Westboro Baptist Church
in Topeka, Kansas. I felt great
pride on the day that Fred Phelps
sent his followers on a 75mile trip to the north, just so
they could picket the library in
Seneca where I was making a
presentation on transgender and
faith.
I chose that particular library
for a presentation in response to
an hour-long sermon by New
Hope Baptist Church Pastor,
Curtis Knapp, where he called
for the government to execute
gays. My purpose in going to
Seneca was not to confront
the pastor or to condemn his
message. My purpose was to do
my part to present a different
message. A message of love.
This is the world in which so
many of us live. It is the world
where a journalist can hear
someone say marriage equality
and have it equate in their mind
to same-sex marriage. It is a
world where I can say social
justice and equality for all, and
too many people still hear gay
rights and special rights.
However, there is nothing
in that truth that diminishes
the other truth. Prop 8 is gone.

Section three of DOMA is gone.
What does that mean to me? It
means hope. It means that there
is reason to believe that in my
lifetime, all people will be able
to marry the person they love,
even in Kansas.
It means that the Supreme
Court of the United States of
America said something very
important, very clearly - LGBT
relationships are valid. These
are words that can never be
unspoken. Americans will never
again live in a place where that
truth can be untold.
What does it mean to me?
It means that we have rounded
third and we are heading for
home. It means that there is
no force on earth capable of
stopping the inevitable. It means
that denial and delusion are
being melted away like pieces
of ice in a toxic sea of hate.
Where do we go from here?
We go to work. There is much
to be done and too many people
still suffer. Until the day comes
when no one suffers just for
being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or
transgender; we go to work. Just
like we went to work yesterday.
And the day before that. And the
day before that.
They wanted to know what
I thought about the Supreme
Court of the United States
ruling that section 3 of the
Defense of Marriage Act was
unconstitutional. They wanted
to know what it means to me
that Prop 8 was struck down.
It means that there will be
a time in the not-so-distant
future when a person can say
marriage equality, and it will be
for everyone. l
Stephanie Mott is a transgender woman
from Topeka. She is the executive director
of the Kansas Statewide Transgender
Education Project and state chair of the
Kansas Equality Coalition. Reach her at
stephanieequality@yahoo.com.

Welcome Back,
Students!

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home at the Wild Side!
Incense, candles, beads
and more!

(785) 776-2252

1128 Moro
Manhattan, KS 66502
11am-6:30pm M-F • 11am-6pm Sat.

AUGUST 2013

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!.

K-State Women’s Studies
faculty member awarded
Big 12 Fellowship
By Michele Janette
MANHATTAN - Assistant
professor Tushabe Wa Tushabe
has been awarded a Big 12
Fellowship to visit the University
of Texas, Austin to share her
research on historical and current
constructions of homosexuality,
and to develop an international
conference and corresponding
co-edited anthology on African
sexualities.
Tushabe will present a portion
of her research in a public forum
open to the University of Texas
campus community. Tushabe’s
work explores the assumption
that sexuality is a characteristic
of all human beings and, indeed,
has become a “fundamental
aspect of individual identity” to
the extent that it now defines a
person’s essence.
The presentation is part of
Tushabe’s book, Decolonizing
Homosexuality in Uganda.

Tushabe and colleagues
at the University of Texas
also will plan an upcoming
conference and resulting
anthology, provisionally titled,
“Local Voices and International
Movements for Sexual
Freedoms in Africa.” The
conference and anthology will
examine the ongoing legislative
proposals that recriminalize
homosexuality in African
postcolonial states.
For instance, Uganda’s
parliament introduced Bill No.
18 in 2009, which criminalizes
a person who knows about and
does not report to the state police
anyone who identifies as gay,
lesbian or transgender. The bill
seeks to institutionalize a death
penalty for gays, lesbians and
transgender people.
Nigeria, Senegal, Cameron,
Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Malawi
have similar draconian laws. l

Page 17

PAGE 18

LIBERTY PRESS - ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME.

AUGUST 2013

New pet store strives to better
the lives of pets, owners

By Brian Hansen
WICHITA - Earthwise Pet
Supply in Wichita strives to
better the lives of pets and
their owners through proper
education, exceptional customer
service, all natural products and
green business practices. The
first Midwest location of the
nationwide franchise opened on

327 N. Hillside in Wichita at
the end of May. The pet supply
store offers nutritional pet food
as well as grooming and much
more.
Earthwise was opened by Kim
Bonnesen and Lisa Obregon,
who have been together for
over six years. For many years,
the couple has wanted to start a
business together and decided

AUGUST 2013

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!.

on opening a franchise, but was unsure of the
company.
“[A pet store] seemed like a natural fit because
we both have a love for animals,” said Bonnesen.
After deciding on the brand, Bonnesen and
Obregon worked hard for over a year to get the
business up and running. The couple researched
pet food products and the importance of nutrition
in household animals to provide the best products
for their customers.
Upon walking in, customers are surrounded by
a variety of pet products including toys, leashes,
collars, and top level pet beds. But what the
business specializes in is high-quality pet food.
Therefore, the store carries all natural, humangrade pet food brands; including natural dog
food, treats, and raw diets.
Both Bonnesen and Obregon are very
knowledgeable in pet nutrition and well educated
in the quality food the store carries, enabling them
to help pet owners determine what diets would
be best for their pets.
“The store caters equally to dogs and cats,”
said the owners, and they plan to begin carrying
products for birds and other small animals.
Although Earthwise Pet Supply is a franchise,
each store is independently owned and operated.
What this means for Bonnesen and Obregon is the
products they carry in their store are decided upon
by their customers. They strive to cater to what
their customers want while also helping the pet
owners become educated in better pet nutrition.
Another area in which the store takes pride is
the manufacturing companies they decide to work
with. Bonnesen and Obregon choose to work with
American-based small businesses, many located
in the state of Kansas. The store also chooses to
work with environmentally-friendly companies.
The store has an on-staff groomer ready to
pamper clients’ pets as well as self-grooming
stations for those needing to bathe their dogs
or cats. The store also hosts monthly pet
rescue events with local rescue groups. Visit its
Facebook page to stay up-to-date on future events
and in-store happenings. (www.facebook.com/
EarthwisePetWichita)
Ultimately, Bonnesen and Obregon care about
a quality life for the pets that come through their
store.
“We want to help owners extend the lives of
their pets,” say the owners. l
Pictured: Bonnesen, left, and Obregon. Photo by Brian Hansen

Page 19

PAGE 20

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME.

Minor

Details
By Bob Minor

Now, What Will the
Celebration Over ENDA
Look Like?

W

hat a relief it was
to hear that the U.S.
Supreme Court had
overturned Section 3 of the
“Defense of Marriage Act”
that was signed into law by
centrist Democrat Bill Clinton in
1996. No longer can the federal
government define marriage as
exclusively heterosexual.
Now it’s back to the states,
for this Court is for nothing
if it isn’t states’ rights. The
President can decide if federal
marriage benefits are defined by
the definition of marriage in the
state one lives or the state one
is married in, but the battle for
full marriage equality depends
upon politics at those state
levels and some long, drawnout court cases that must begin
soon with same-sex couples
suing for recognition in their
non-accepting home states.
One legal hurdle is gone, and
the celebrations all around the
nation were exuberant, maybe
overly. There should be relief
that on the way to full human
rights the law has taken this turn
even as the right-wing flails in
reaction and there’s so much
more to do.
The push for marriage all
began with the hope embedded in
Hawaii’s surprising legalization
of marriage equality in 1993.
Since then, the majority of

the resources of the LGBT
community and its allies have
been focused upon marriage
equality.
In addition to this lengthy
court case, 13 states have since
changed their laws with one or
two more following soon.
The concentration of
resources on marriage equality
isn’t surprising because for those
in LGBT communities who are
privileged not to have to worry
about their jobs and wealth
- those who control the most
resources - this is the cause that
touches most immediately upon
their self-interest.
But in the 29 states
where someone can be fired
for being gay and the 34 for
being transgender, those not
so privileged experience more
life or death issues. The more
basic issues of jobs, careers, and
income loom large.
As Harvard professor and
author of A Queer History of the
United States, Michael Bronski
told Salon.com: “All of these
probably white, probably uppermiddle-class people who’ve
been fighting for marriage
because it’s a good fight, will
they be as willing to give $500
a year to Lambda [Legal] to
fight trans youth harassed by
police? We’re dealing with how
people’s politics come out of

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Pastor Danny L. Medell

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We are a church that accepts everyone regardless of their
race, color, social status, sexual orientation, where they are
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We invite you to join us for worship every Sunday
at 11:00 am

their experiences.
“A white middle-class couple
living in the suburbs of Illinois
may not have much desire to
think about transgender youth,
possibly of color, living in New
York City or San Francisco.
Isn’t that the job of the national
organizations to convince people
that this is as important as the
issue of same-sex marriage?”
Journalist-filmmaker
David France, known for
his documentary chronicling
activism during the AIDS crisis,
How to Survive a Plague, was
even more concerned: “This is a
deeply conservative victory and,
yes, a too expensive one, given
what our leaders have let slide
in recent years. Marriage won’t
stop the runaway HIV epidemic
among our young. It won’t
stop religious hatred, sexual
assaults, reparative therapy
crimes, bullying, Mormons, Boy
Scouts or popes.
“Although I am myself gaymarried, and while I do enjoy
being endorsed by a SCOTUS
majority, even a slim one,
I’ve been utterly dumbstruck
watching every resource at the
community’s disposal channeled
into this one optional and limited
middle-class goal.
“We used to be revolutionaries. We once were outlaws.
And now: betrothed? If we settle
for this, we let the whole world
down.”
For those not privileged, news
that the federal Employment
Non-Discrimination Act
(ENDA) had obtained its
fiftieth U.S. Senate sponsor and
was approved by the Senate
Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions Committee by a 15-7
bipartisan vote on July 10, could
have raised the hope of some
economic security.
But even FOX and CNN
gave no coverage to the
furthest ENDA had advanced
in the 17 years since it was first
introduced to Congress. And one
wonders how many in the LGBT
community even know ENDA is
a cause.
Even in the former slave
state of Missouri, the state’s
senate ended its session by,
for the first time, passing the
Missouri Nondiscrimination
Act. The fight for this first step
by Missouri’s LGBT political
advocacy group, PROMO, has
been long and grueling, but it
hasn’t received anything like the

AUGUST 2013

amount of attention and financial
support that has left Missouri to
promote the marriage cause.
It’s not unusual for those in
any demographic who have risen
in a class system above overt
discrimination to forget what
it’s still like for the majority.
It’s not unusual for them even
to deny the discrimination others
experience, refuse to believe that
much discrimination still exists,
or blame those who experience
it as bringing it on themselves.
Just think Clarence Thomas.
But times like these are
also tests as to whether any
community of people actually
exists. Is the category being
used to lump people together
a fiction? Or is economic class
what really and primarily divides
Americans from one another
when it comes down to it?
The pursuit of marriage
equality without the same
effort invested toward ending
workplace and accommodation
discrimination confirms the
claims of many activists that
there really is nothing we can
call the LGBT community.
There are the elite and the rest,
different generations, L’s, G’s,
B’s, T’s and others, as well as
many other divisions whose
identities are based upon their
personal interests.
Even the earliest versions
of ENDA did not include
provisions to protect transgender
people. It was added in 2007,
but Barney Frank then believed
transgender people should be
sacrificed to make its passage
more successful, thereby riling
many activists.
Socio-economic class is
the major divider in Capitalist
America. So we’ll see how it
plays out in the so-called LGBT
community. But for those who
really want permanent equality
for all, it can’t be a barrier.
“People shouldn’t consider
themselves progressive just
because they support their own
rights,” said veteran LGBT
activist Allen Roskoff. “I’m
tired of people saying they’re
progressive because they just
support their own rights more
than equity for all.” l
Robert N. Minor, Ph.D., Professor
Emeritus of Religious Studies at the
University of Kansas, is author of When
Religion Is an Addiction; Scared Straight
and Gay & Healthy in a Sick Society.
Contact him at www.FairnessProject.
org.

AUGUST 2013

D

ear Mama,
I am feeling so
frustrated with things
in my life. I hate the city I live
in, not happy with my job, and
not happy with most people I
hang around. What should I
do? Not signed
Well it sounds like you’re just
not happy. I suggest making
some changes to your life. Get
a new job, friends, and move
to a different city. Good God,
really you had to ask me advice
on this?! It is as plain as the
nose on your face. Let me call
U-Haul for you! Someone take
me for a beer.
Mama,
I am really having a hard time
finding anyone to go out on
a date. The ones I do talk to
want sex or just play games
and never want to even go out.
What do you suggest I do?
Lonely Hearts Club
I suggest take up sewing or a
hobby. How the hell should I
know? I am a widow for over
20 years now and have never
been on a date since my husband
passed. I believe all the decent
partners are taken or priests
or they are lying to the rest of
us! Get a blow-up doll. Vinton,
bring the truck around we’re

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!.

going to the Bigger Jigger!
Ms. Mama,
Why would a 50-year-old
woman want to marry a man
in his 90’s? Puzzled Metro Girl
Money!! It sure the heck ain’t
sex! It has to be money or for
the company. I cannot even
imagine it. That would be like
me wanting to marry that old fart
Beulah! Can you image us two
naked? Not a big enough iron to
get all those wrinkles out!
Hey Mama,
How would you solve our
current health insurance
crisis? You’re in good hands
I would make all the politicians,
insurance reps, doctors and the
drug company bigwigs get very
ill really fast and make them wait
for a long time before seeing a
physician or getting any meds,
then I would bill the hell out of
them, just to scare the holy crap
out of each of them. Maybe then
they would come up with a good
solution! I call it MamaCare!
Thank you for the questions
Kansas! Hope you all had a great
summer! l
Have a question for Mama? E-mail
MamaTHarper@aol.com or friend
Thelma Harper on Facebook.

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at The Stiefel
Theatre , Sept. 4!
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LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME.

H

ello once again Kansas!
I missed you all last
month, but I am back
with another interview for
August! Since summer is
nearing an end I have a HOT
interview for you all. This month
we have the stunning, sexy
and amazing Dynasty to get to
know. So enough with my lame
catchphrases let’s meet Dynasty!
Audrey McQueen: Hey
Dynasty, how are you today?
Thanks for doing this column
with me!
Dynasty: You’re welcome Audi,
I’m excited! First off, I wanna
say, “Hafa Adai” to all my
Pacific Islanders.
AM: My first question for you
is where did you get your drag
name?
D: Dynasty may sound like an
erotic name but it was really
hard trying to come up with one.
So my best straight friend from
high school threw me a few “dynamic, die nasty, explosion,”
and then he shouted, “How ‘bout
Dynasty?” And that’s how my
alter ego Miss Dynasty aka
Twinkies was born.
AM: I miss Twinkes! Who
were and are your biggest
inspirations for drag?
D: My biggest inspirations
are first and foremost my
drag mother Adina Ronee,
Ladiesman, Erotica, Thug

AUGUST 2013

from your “real self?”
D: What makes me different
from my real self is I come from
not having much to making it
happen with what I got. I’m the
type of person who would give
it if others don’t have it. I’m
confident not cocky. I’m just me
inside and out.

Dynasty
Passion, Ivory James, Mr.
Pleasure, Rosalyn, Capt’n,
Lexus Millian, Tyreese, Brown
Sugar, MacKenzie, Mia Adams,
Tatiannia, Rachael Moore, and
Neela Downes. These are the
people who I watch and inspire
me and have helped me become
the entertainer I am today!
AM: Wow, those are some of
the same inspirations I have!
What former titles and awards
do you have?
D: I’m a former Miss Xcalibur
and Miss Kansas International
Plus both in 2009!
AM: Dang look at you! What
made you want to do drag?
D: I started doing drag because I
was actually a fan of Ladiesman.
She really encouraged me to
come out and try it. So the next
week I did the Thursday night
Brown Sugar talent show and let
me tell you! I was that drag queen
with no makeup just eye liner, no
titties, no heels, I had high-top
tennis shoes, booty shorts with
my duct tape showing, and a

black t-shirt doing a guy song.
I was spotted by three amazing
girls - Rosalyn, Ivory James and
Erotica - and they said, “What’s
your name, girl? We gonna get
you together!” So I want to thank
these amazing people.
AM: Amazing! What was your
best memory in drag or life?
D: The most memorable time
from doing drag would have
to be working with some great
entertainers and the people I
have met through the years and
till this day they have watched
me grow into something way
bigger than what I was expecting.
I never knew I would come this
far and I’m still growing and
learning.
AM: What is your favorite
quote or motto?
D: My motto would have to be
- don’t give up on a dream, go
with the flow and cherish all the
good things that come your way.
AM: Cool!! You’re awesome!
What makes Dynasty different

AM: You are one of the most
sincere people I have met!!!
Do you have any advice for
anyone who would like to do
what we do?
D: My advice to the people who
wanna do drag . . . do it for you
and nobody else. Practice makes
perfect. Love it or hate it drag
is an art!! You never know how
far it will take you. Embrace the
people around you because you
could learn a thing or two!!
AM: Where can we see you
perform?
D: You can see me every
Monday night with Ladiesman
and Apollo at the South 40!
AM: Is there anything you
would like to say before we
end this?
D: As this comes to a close, I
wanna give a big shout out to my
fans. Thank you for following
my dream and always being
there. I’m still standing. Thank
you Audrey from the bottom of
my heart!!
Thank you so much Dynasty
for doing this interview. You
are such a big inspiration to me
and many other queens around
the state! Make sure you go see
Dynasty on Monday at the South
Forty at 11pm and go like my
Facebook page www.facebook.
com/audreyasks. This has been
what Audrey Asked - see you at
pride next month!! l

n two profoundly important
rulings on Wednesday,
June 26, the U.S. Supreme
Court declared Section 3 of the
federal Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA) to be unconstitutional,
and also found that the
proponents of California’s
discriminatory Proposition 8
lacked legal standing to appeal a
lower court ruling striking down
the amendment.
As the news spread the day
before that the rulings would be
coming down the next day, the
Kansas Equality Coalition began
planning rallies in cities across
the state. With sites chosen
in Hutchinson, Kansas City,
Lawrence, Salina, Manhattan,
Dodge City, Topeka and Wichita,
communities all gathered at
5:30pm in what turned out to be
rallies of celebration.
About 75 people turned
out in Wichita carrying signs
and flags and wearing jubilant
expressions. Thomas Witt,
executive director of the Kansas
Equality Coalition, spoke as
well as activist Jason Dilts
and Pastor Jackie Carter of
First Metropolitan Community
Church.
Witt told the audience that
there were many aspects of
the rulings’ impact that need to
be ironed out over the coming
months. Lambda Legal issued
the following statement from
Legal Director Jon Davidson:
“Two ugly chapters in the
history of our nation and of
California are finally over.
DOMA’s core has been struck
down, and the California
Constitution will no longer
compel unequal treatment of
same-sex couples and their
families.
“This is a huge victory for
married same-sex couples and
their families because it will
affect almost every facet of life
from health care to retirement to
taxes.
“Key details remain to be
worked out over the coming
months, including the implications for legally married
same-sex couples living in states

that deny their true marital
status. Lambda Legal and our
sister organizations will work
with Obama Administration
officials and will continue to
pursue legal and administrative
actions that may help to clarify
these matters and to implement
both of today’s judgments
against discrimination.”
Kansas, of course, is one of
the states with a constitutional
ban on same-sex marriage.
Lambda Legal has Legal Help
Desk staff available to help
answer questions married samesex couples have about how
these rulings affect them. Visit:
lambdalegal.org/help or call
866-542-8336. l

Online
Readers
Poll

Are you legally
married in
another state?
Visit
libertypress.net
to cast your vote!

Jason Dilts, left, speaks to Pat Munz, treasurer of Wichita Pride, during the rally in Old
Town Square in Wichita. Dilts later spoke to the crowd. Photo by Kristi Parker

“I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. This was
discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate
and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better
off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal – and the love we commit
to one another must be equal as well.”
--President Barack Obama
“The Department of Defense welcomes the Supreme Court’s decision today on the Defense of
Marriage Act. The department will immediately begin the process of implementing the Supreme
Court’s decision in consultation with the Department of Justice and other executive branch
agencies. The Department of Defense intends to make the same benefits available to all military
spouses -- regardless of sexual orientation -- as soon as possible. That is now the law and it is
the right thing to do.”
-- Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel
“I applaud today’s Supreme Court decision in United States v. Windsor holding that the Defense
of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. This discriminatory law denied thousands of legally
married same-sex couples many important federal benefits, including immigration benefits. I am
pleased the Court agreed with the Administration’s position that DOMA’s restrictions violate the
Constitution. Working with our federal partners, including the Department of Justice, we will
implement today’s decision so that all married couples will be treated equally and fairly in the
administration of our immigration laws.”
--Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

By Jennifer Tidball
MANHATTAN - Kansas State
University can continue taking
pride in its efforts to reach
lesbians, gays, bisexuals and
transgender individuals on
campus.
The university has received
4.5 stars out of 5 stars in the
Campus Pride Index rating
for 2013-2014. The rating is a
result of collaboration among
multiple campus organizations,

including the university’s LGBT
Resource Center, housing and
dining services, the Union
Program Council and the
Student Governing Association,
said Brandon Haddock, student
services coordinator at the
LGBT Resource Center.
“It has been a major goal to
make this a collaborative campus
effort to educate our students and
to make our campus a safe and
affirming place for those who are
of different sexualities or gender
identities,” said Haddock, who
is also a doctoral student in
geography.
The Campus Pride Index is
a tool that helps campuses learn
ways to improve LGBT campus
life and become more inclusive,
welcoming and respectful of
LGBT people. Campus Pride
is an organization for student
leaders and campus groups
working to create a safer college
environment.
Since opening in fall 2010,
KSU’s LGBT Resource Center

Great home in a very desired location close to Friends
and Newman Universities and Delano. Two bedrooms,
living room, kitchen, dining room and bath on main
level. Basement has large family room, another room
for office and bath and laundry. There is a one-car attached garage and a very over-sized detached garage.
The large fenced yard is well shaded and great for
many activities of family and friends. Be sure to take a
look at this very affordable home. Only $79,900

has created programming and
educational opportunities for
LGBT people on campus. The
Center is the first full-time
resource center for LGBT
individuals at an institution of
higher learning in Kansas.
After collaborative efforts
across campus, the university
now meets nearly all studentbased criteria for the Campus
Pride Index.

Page 25

“We have come such a long
way, from 1.5 stars in 2009
to 4.5 stars this year,” said
Haddock. “This improvement
says that as a campus we are
working together to meet the
needs of all of our students. The
work is not finished and we must
make sure that we continue to
set our goals for equality even
higher for our campus.” l

PAGE 26
Trans Conference continued from page 14

medical world of a transgender
person.
Speakers at the TransKans
conference will be Thomas Witt,
executive director of the Kansas
Equality Coalition; Sue Gerth,
president of the Flint Hills
chapter of PFLAG; Barbara
Greathouse, owner of Barbara’s
Electrology Clinic; and Tami
Albin, undergraduate instruction
and outreach librarian, Anschutz
Library, at the University of
Kansas.
“The line-up is starting to
look very nice,” Mott says.
Additional speakers include

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME.

Leather Life
By Nolin Christensen aka Master C

Nate Phelps, son of Fred Phelps, will give
the keynote address at the Conference’s
Saturday night banquet.

For more information:
www.k-step.org
www.transkansas.com
natephelps.com
Registration begins at 3pm on Friday, Sept. 6 at the Bert
Nash Community Mental Health Center, 200 Maine,
Lawrence
Banquet/Keynote Speaker only - $25 (Student $20)
Conference only - $25 (Student $20)
Banquet/Keynote Speaker and Conference - $45 (Student
$35)
(Students must have a valid ID)
Carol Jolly, a clinical social
worker at Shadow Woods
Clinical Associates;
Caroline Gibbs of the
Transgender Institute;
David Brown, managing
attorney of the Law Office
of David J. Brown; Laura
Arrowsmith, practicing
physician and board
member of the National
Center for Transgender
Equality; Donna Ross,
pastor of Zion United
Church of Christ in St.
Joseph, Missouri; and
Scott Criqui, human
resources manager at
Trinity In-Home Care,
who will speak about
transgender issues in the
workplace.
Melissa Davison, a
licensed masters social
worker who is currently
employed at the Robert J.
Dole VA Medical Center
in Wichita, will host a
session on healthcare for
transgendered veterans. l

AUGUST 2013

This column is dedicated to explaining to
others what the Leather lifestyle is about
and what we do.

Leather Runs

A

couple things have
occurred recently that
made me realize I really
miss the “good ol’ days.” A
couple of months ago the boys
and I went on a Leather run in
St Louis. I had forgotten how
much booze is consumed on a
run! Then a few weeks ago one
of our members shared a video
about the Satyrs of Los Angeles.

They are the oldest continuous
gay club in America. The video
highlighted the Satyrs’ 50 years
(they will be 60 next year) and
their famous leather runs.
Leather runs were formed by
the Satyrs and all gay Leather
and biker clubs adopted them.
It was a way for the members
to get together without police
harassment and to meet other
like-minded folks. They would
get on their bikes and head out
to a campsite out in the middle of
nowhere. They would have food,
booze, a good time and sex, sex,
sex everywhere. Every group did
this for many years until after
Stonewall and the coming of
acceptance of gays in America.
Leather runs are still done
today, but instead of going out to
some campground, they are now
held in hotel banquet halls. Some
things from the old runs still
exist at some of the runs, many
other aspects do not. The booze
still flows, but the free-will sex
has greatly diminished. The
AIDS epidemic brought that part
to a screeching halt. Although
sex still occurs, it’s nothing
like the “good ol’ days.” The

AUGUST 2013

days where it was nothing to
have multiple partners within
a several hour time span. On a
leather run weekend, over the
course of two nights, it would
be nothing to have up to a dozen
partners.
Leather runs over time
have also morphed into
events. Contests like IML and
ILSb, and educational
events, like Wichita’s own
Leather Camp. These
events toned it down,
added educational classes
and stressed safer sex. The
addition of classes was
necessary because the
old mentorship program
was all but wiped out
from the AIDS crisis.
And nowadays with
more and more people in
committed relationships,
the amount of sex at the
runs has diminished as
well. (Also it’s not as easy
to have raunchy, go from
one person to the next
person, sex at a hotel like
it was when it was in the
woods!). However, sex
is still a driving force for
many who attend these
events, and not to forget
the booze!
But the one thing that
has remained since the
beginning of Leather runs

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!.

is the camaraderie that exists
with those who attend. It’s like
a big family get together, sex
included (especially if you’re
from Arkansas like me, then it’s
no different!!). It’s good to see
old friends, renew friendships,
make new friends, and pick up
where you left off with your
“friends with benefits” friends.

So if you get the chance to
attend a Leather run or a Leather
event, don’t miss out on life
by not taking a chance; come
and attend. You’ll make some
of the best friendships you can
ever have. You’ll have the time
of your life. Just come with an
open mind (and possibly an open
relationship). If you’re timid and

Page 27

afraid, don’t be, step out and
come attend some part of the
weekend. At this year’s Leather
Camp, the Friday and Saturday
events are open to the public.
Both are at the Fantasy South
40. Come see what Leather is
all about. For more information
on Leather Camp visit www.
leathercamp.com. l

PAGE 28

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME.
celebration held in September.

tinyurl.com/herscopes
Charlene Lichtenstein’s
ground-breaking astrology
book HerScopes: A Guide To
Astrology For Lesbians is celebrating its 10th anniversary!
The secrets that are revealed
about each sign continue to
amaze. Makes a great gift.

Classifieds are available for $5 for the first 15 words.
E-mail editor@libertypress.net for other options, and pricing.

T

he dog days of summer heat
up with lots of planetary
movement. All personal
planets change signs and some
oppose retrograde outer planets.
Actions can go into overdrive, run
amok and lead us into unalterable
changes. Will it be a howl at the
moon or dance under the stars? It’s
your move.

ARIES (MAR. 21 - APRIL 20)
Minor home-based decisions have
mammoth repercussions in your longterm plans and life mission. Move a
couch and create a sinkhole. So my
advice for any proud Ram who is
hankering for domestic transition is to wait until the
fall. Only then can you more easily accomplish what
you initially set out to do without any surprising fallout.
Meantime, enjoy the quiet.

LEO (JULY 24 - AUG. 23)
Ongoing stress has a way of
contributing to many of your physical
ailments. August is the month to deal
with the burden of any secrets or
psychological baggage in your life.
Proud Lions always want to put on the very best face
to the crowds. It is still possible to continue your big
performance, but at the very least wrestle with your
skeletons backstage.

TAURUS (APRIL 21 - MAY 21)
Stray thoughts and minor comments
resonate through the cosmos. This is
great if you are interested in creating a
ruckus, but not so great if you want to
quietly work behind the scenes. Queer
Bulls should keep their opinions to themselves for now.
Think happy thoughts. You can unfurl your manifesto
later this year and create a winter revolution.

VIRGO (AUG. 24 - SEPT. 23)
Friends can lead you into mischief if
you heedlessly follow their lead. Lucky
thing! Queer Virgins may unwittingly go
overboard in the thrill of the moment.
Think before you leap and see if what
pals do is something that you really want to do too.
If not, go it alone. Even better, connect with new
acquaintances or groups that give you something that
pals can’t at this time.

GEMINI (MAY 22 - JUNE 21)
Pink Twins may blow their carefully
crafted budget now as their eyes (and
desires) grow too big for their wallets.
This can get you into a financial hole
if you are not careful. Lovers and other
hangers-on may make their demands, but that doesn’t
mean that you have to agree to them. In fact, being a
little thrifty now may offer more to spend later this year.
CANCER (JUNE 22 - JULY 23)
What is yours is yours and what is theirs
is . . . yours? Now, now gay Crab. You
can’t achieve balance in relationships if
you are not willing to give a little. But
giving up too much is not a good thing
either. Your mission now is to achieve
balance between the “I” and the “We.” Discover the
connections as well as the individual needs. Achieve
nirvana later this year.

LIBRA (SEPT. 24 - OCT. 23)
Your career commands center stage
and seems to require all of your
attention. The power brokers like what
they see in you and opportunities open up before you.
Jump into the shark tank with your harpoon, proud
Libra, and go hunting. But too much focus on your
professional path can make partners and family feel
left out. Can you find time for both? Let’s just see.
SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 22)
You step into the global stage and are
ready to create a big splash. But your
words might be taken out of context
and you may flub a vital point. There
is no erase and re-record option here,
queer Scorp. So be very careful with
what you say and how you say it, especially where
it can land you in the deep end. Keep your thoughts
fluid but don’t gush.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 - DEC. 22)
Lovers and their demands may become
more trouble and much more expensive
than they’re worth at this time. Are you
prepared to give in to every little whim?
If so, be prepared to pay dearly for it.
Otherwise be kind but firm. Gay Archers are advised
to window shop rather than buy. Enjoy things in small
bursts. Ah, isn’t that the way it always is?
CAPRICORN (DEC. 23 - JAN. 20)
Relationships begin to consume you and
you might change your entire outlook
and life direction because of them. Try
not to fall into someone else’s concept
of who you should be. Retain your
individuality and own sense of destiny and purpose. And
most importantly, know yourself and what works best
for you. There is time to be a pair. But a pair of what?
AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 - FEB. 19)
Potholes in your job can cause unintended
tumult when and where you least expect
it. Things that you have put off doing and
colleagues that you might have mentally written off, come
back to bite you. But all is not late nights and weekends
working back into any good graces, Aqueerius. Redeem
yourself with careful and calculated apple-polishing.
Rub-a-dub!
PISCES (FEB. 20 - MAR. 20)
What seems like carefree fun may lead to
serious changes in the dynamics of certain
friendships. Maybe you have outgrown
some pals? Or maybe your interests are
taking a different direction. Whatever it is, be prepared
to go out on your own and create new associations that
are more in sync with your creative passions. Swim in
new pools, Guppie.

(c) 2013 THE STARRY EYE, LLC., All Rights Reserved. For Entertainment Purposes Only. Lichtenstein’s blog www.thestarryeye.typepad.com covers everything new age. Her astrology
book HerScopes: A Guide to Astrology For Lesbians is the best in tongue-in-cheek astrology. Order now at tinyurl.com/Herscopes.

PAGE 30

LIBERTY PRESS - IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME.

AUGUST 2013

The Store’s
Sweet Revue
June 15, 2013

Pictured from left: Caliente Amor, one of the organizers of the event,
performing. Fritz Capone’s Coat of Many Colors on display at the Revue
in memory of the late performer. The Store owners Colene Marshall-Binns
and Donna Binns with Caliente. Photos courtesy of Charles Gonzales

WICHITA - Following in the
tradition of bar-named revues to
benefit the Sweet Emergency
Fund for people living with AIDS,
The Store organized its first
Sweet Revue, Saturday, June
15. It was a resounding success
with performers, donated auction
items and a packed house. The final total verified by Teresa Romey
and staff at Dr. Sweet’s office:
$5,770. An unexpectedly large
amount for the smallest LGBT bar
in Wichita! l